OTTAWA — The Liberal government’s plan to accept bids for the navy’s future warships has been delayed because of a battle over the amount of Canadian content needed and the decision to allow into the competition a British design that exists only on paper.

Bids were to be requested from companies in August.

But a government spokesman now says the request is expected to go out to companies sometime “in the fall” although no specific date was given.

The bid package, called a request for proposals or RFP, has gone through various drafts, the latest handed to industry representatives on Sunday for comments.

It is estimated that the new ships, called Canadian Surface Combatants, will cost more than $26 billion and will be the backbone of the Royal Canadian Navy’s future fleet.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

The project has seen repeated delays with the navy at one time expecting the ships by 2015. The vessels are now planned for delivery sometime in the early 2020s.

Procurement Minister Judy Foote had said only designs from ships already in service or mature existing designs would be accepted because it would mean less risk and the vessels could be built faster.

But industry sources say the government has now decided to consider a British warship that has yet to be built.

Nicolas Boucher, spokesman for Public Services and Procurement Canada, said companies will have until Friday to provide their comments on the final RFP. “Once the industry feedback has been assessed and any resulting revisions made, the formal RFP will be released to the prequalified firms in fall 2016,” he stated.

Industry sources say the government is facing a dilemma as it wants to have the maximum amount of Canadian content possible but at the same time a proven, existing design. Such designs already have on-board systems functioning and suppliers selected. It becomes a challenge to take out existing working systems and replace them with Canadian ones.

JULIE JOCSAK / St. Catharines Standard

Other company officials have questioned attempts by some government officials to change the bid package to allow the Type 26 ship from the British firm BAE. Under the previous rules outlined in the draft RFP, the ship design was to have been completed and reviewed by the government purchasing the vessel, in this case the United Kingdom.

Industry sources say that hasn’t been done.

The United Kingdom has so far balked at signing a deal for the Type 26. British defence secretary Michael Fallon said last month he won’t sign a contract for the ship until he is persuaded it’s in the best interests of U.K. taxpayers and will provide value for money.

The move to rewrite portions of the Canadian bid package to allow for the Type 26 have sparked concern among some competitors about whether bureaucrats favour the vessel even though it exists only on paper.

Boucher stated in an email that BAE has been prequalified as a warship designer. Bids will evaluated by Irving Shipbuilding Inc. and the government of Canada, he added.

BAE official Anne Healey said the company can’t comment on the criteria used to outline the maturity of a ship design. “We are confident that we will be able to compete for the Canadian Surface Combatant and we are looking forward to competing in a fair and open competition,” she added.

Healey said that steel is expected to be cut on the Type 26 ships starting next year.